What is remoteness of damage in tort?

Asked by: Henriette Jacobi  |  Last update: September 21, 2022
Score: 4.2/5 (2 votes)

The term remoteness of damages refers to the legal test used for deciding which type of loss caused by the breach of contract may be compensated by an award of damages.

What are the principles of remoteness?

The principle of remoteness of damages is often assessed at the pleadings stage as it is essential that the Plaintiff only includes damages that are casually linked to its action against a delictual wrongdoer.

What is remote and proximate cause of damage?

A remote cause is one that is removed or separate from the proximate cause of an injury. If the injuries suffered by a person admitted to a hospital after being hit by a truck are aggravated by MALPRACTICE, the malpractice is a remote cause of injury to that person.

What is remote damage?

The term 'remoteness of damages' refers to the legal test used for deciding which type of loss caused by the breach of contract may be compensated by an award of damages.

What is remote and proximate?

Remote Causes--the causes are remote in time, they are causes of causes. For example: the Great Wall of China led to the fall of Rome! Proximate Causes--these are close in time to the phenomenon, there are usually several proximate causes.

Tort Law - Negligence - Causation, Remoteness & Damage

28 related questions found

What is rules of remoteness damage?

The term remoteness refers to the legal test of causation which is used when determining the types of loss caused by a breach of contract or duty which may be compensated by a damages award.

What is the remoteness of damage test?

The current test for remoteness of damage is whether the kind of damage you have suffered was reasonably foreseeable by the Defendant, at the time of the breach. The test for remoteness is important in a negligence case because it can affect the outcome of a claim.

How can the remoteness of damage be determined?

Following the Wagon Mound no 1 the test for remoteness of damage is that damage must be of a kind which was foreseeable. Once damage is of a kind that is foreseeable the defendant is liable for the full extent of the damage no matter whether the extent of the damage is foreseeable.

How do you establish remoteness of damage in tort?

The court found for the defendant, setting out a two-stage test for remoteness of damage. In order to be recoverable, the loss must be: either a normal result of the breach, or. one which, at the time of the contract, both parties would have contemplated as a probable result.

What is meant by remoteness at common law?

̶ Remoteness: defines the extent (scope) of liability. o Because causation test ('but for') is easily satisfied even in absurd circumstances (think of the simultaneous shooting case). o If pursued relentlessly, relatively insignificant defaults by the defendants could render the defendant.

What is remoteness damages for breach of contract?

Remoteness of damages refers to the limiting point, beyond which damages which are attributable to the breach of contract, may not be recovered. Damage or “knock on” loss beyond this point, is said to be too remote. The claimant must prove his loss and prove that it falls within the above criteria.

What is the difference between causation and remoteness?

Causation is a matter of fact and requires the claimant to prove that the negligent act caused the damage complained of. The rules concerning remoteness of damage are a matter of law and broadly require the claimant to establish that the damage was of a kind which was reasonably foreseeable.

What does too remote mean?

adj., adv. extremely far off or slight. Evidence may be so remote from the issues in a trial that it will not be allowed as "immaterial." An act which started the events which led to an accident may be too remote to be a cause, as distinguished from the "proximate cause."

What is causation of damage?

Causation is an overarching area of law which restricts the amount of compensation in damages which may be recovered which arises from a legal wrong. It's one of several legal filters which ensures that a defendant guilty of a legal wrong only pays for the loss for which they are legally responsible.

What is the difference between expectation damages and reliance damages?

The High Court has differentiated between expectation and reliance damages as such: a wronged party to a contract is 'entitled to damages for loss of bargain (expectation loss) and damage suffered, including expenditure incurred in reliance upon the contract (reliance loss)'.

What is the measure of damages?

Measure of damages is a way to compute damages that are to be awarded to an injured person. In an action on a penal bond, the measure of damages is compensation for the actual loss, not exceeding the established penalty.

What is causation in tort law?

Related Content. A principle used in the assessment of damages for breach of contract or tort. Losses may have been foreseeable at the time of contracting or at the time of the breach of duty in the case of tort, but they will only be recoverable if those losses were caused by the breach of contract or duty.

What are the two types of causation?

There are two types of causation in the law: cause-in-fact, and proximate (or legal) cause. Cause-in-fact is determined by the "but for" test: But for the action, the result would not have happened. (For example, but for running the red light, the collision would not have occurred.)

What are the two elements of causation?

Factual (or actual) cause and proximate cause are the two elements of causation in tort law.

What are the three causal rules?

There are three conditions for causality: covariation, temporal precedence, and control for “third variables.” The latter comprise alternative explanations for the observed causal relationship.

What are the different types of damages?

There are six different types of damages: compensatory, incidental, consequential, nominal, liquidated, and (sometimes) punitive.

How is damage measured in Torts?

The measure of contractual damages is the difference between “the true value of the asset and its value with the quality as warranted”, whereas the measure of tortious damages is the difference between “the true value of the asset and the price paid”.

What are the principles of damages?

Damages are a financial remedy which aims to compensate the injured party for the consequences of a breach in the contract they were in. In general, the principle of awarding damages to a party is to put them back into the position, as far as possible, that they would have been in had the breach not have occurred.

What are the 3 types of damages?

Types of Damages
  • COMPENSATORY. Compensatory damages are generally the most identifiable and concrete type of damages. ...
  • GENERAL. General damages are sought in conjunction with compensatory damages. ...
  • PUNITIVE. Punitive damages are meant to punish a Defendant for particularly egregious conduct.